A Troublemaker's Guide to Healing

Sermons

The question I used to open our worship yesterday was, "Have you ever been called a troublemaker?" Giggles, murmurs and smiles were plenty.  What does that mean?

In this last sermon in a series focusing on healing, we considered the various troublemakers found in Mark 1:40-45, beginning with Jesus.  Jesus, yes Jesus, was a troublemaker.  Deal with it.  Oh, he probably was as sweet as you sing him to be, but a troublemaker nonetheless.  

The divine troublemaker calls out us troublemakers and offers healing.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

++If you are reading by email or newsletter, click here to listen to the sermon.++

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Is this the circle of life?

Bible Study / Faith / Pictures

I saw this picture and thought of the book of Ecclesiastes. 

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Most people remember that book for the famous time and a place for everything, etc, etc lines.  Of course, those are great words of wisdom. But some of the book almost kind of reads like the thought the artist had behind this image.  Mr. Ecclesiastes almost comes across like an old teacher who has had enough of his youthful students.  "Go ahead," he says, "be young and dumb.  It's not like you're going to listen to me now anyways."  Maybe that is a bit harsh, but maybe not.

"Take Life as it Comes" is the heading for Ecclesiastes 9 in the Bible I have in front of me.  Here is a piece of that chapter:

Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do. Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that are given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to the skilful; but time and chance happen to them all. For no one can anticipate the time of disaster. Like fish taken in a cruel net, and like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them.   --Ecclesiastes 9:7-12

Our lives of full of joy and pain (pump it up, pump it up!). Through it all, God is with us. Amen.

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Emotional baggage

Funny / Pictures

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What are you doing this Sunday?

Church / Newsletter

Think of the preparation that goes into a holiday party.  Everything from food and drinks to the decorations and invitations needs to be planned.  Now, think about going through all that work only to have the people you prepared for not show up.  Frustrating? Disappointing?  Not worth the trouble?  I can imagine how disheartening that may be.  I know exactly how it feels.  Think of each Sunday as a holiday.  While it’s more than a holiday party, our church prepares for each person, and we look forward to celebrating the Christ’s Resurrection together.  Some have labeled each Sunday a mini-Easter.

Each week people join our celebration; we thank God for you!  Each week some do not join us; we still thank God for you!  Each person in our church adds to the worship and celebration we share each holiday.  When you’re not there we are missing something.  A lot happens on Sundays: God speaks; God moves; God challenges; God heals.  We even get to participate: we learn; we sing; we pray; we offer; we laugh, cry and hope.  When we gather we can affirm that, “Surely the Lord is in this place.”  So, everything’s ready for us—See you Sunday!

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My shortest sermon ever

Sermons

I had billed yesterday's sermon as my shortest one ever.  And it almost was.  Think about that: Many pastors pride themselves on being able to preach more minutes.  I am sure there is a preacher merit badge for that.  Here I am, though, shooting for less.  What has become of me?  Something about quality vs. quantity?

The plan this Sunday was to preach for five minutes, and still know I can do it!  I got carried away with the last part and went on for three extra minutes.  A five-minute sermon may sound to you  like an easy day at the office, but it is not, at least if you want to do it right.  So, when you push play below, you'll listen for 9 minutes and 14 seconds--yes, you will, you will... That time does include our reading of the prayer of confession, which began at about the eight minute mark. 

Why does any of this matter? Well, maybe it doesn't--kind of like the halftime show last night. It did for me, however.

This was the second sermon that we focused on healing.  Several people have told me this was a topic they appreciated hearing about.  What I wanted to do in these sermons is make sure to clear the air and address some of the more unhelpful, and possibly unfaithful, ideas about healing and replace them with more healing truths about our life with God.  Also, I don't think most of us realize how much healing there needs to be in the church.  Of course, I'm not just talking about physical or medical condition that need to be healed.  People in our pews are hurt, broken down, depressed, angry, addicted, oblivious, distracted, consumed...........

We need God to heal us in many ways.

What I wanted to communicate in yesterday's sermon is that God wants to heal, and offers healing to us in many ways.  That offer was found for us yesterday in our communion celebration.  Communion is not just something we do to remember a night in Jesus' life.  In our Communion moments God is at work in us.  So, the point of the short sermon was to get people to focus on the power of God in Communion.  We should not think of Communion as an after thought.  What I want to say is not as important as what God wants to do on a Sunday morning.

So, I think God's healing was felt by many of us there.  Although you and I cannot share Communion now, think about the 2 things in this sermon the next time you are able to.  And may God's healing be with you now.

++If you are reading by email or news reader, click here to listen to the sermon entitled Two Things.++

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May you run and not grow weary

Church Signs

Time does not heal.  God does.

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
   his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
   and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
   and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
   they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

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I don't want to be a candidate!

Church

"You're crazy enough to do this." 

I am sure the psychologists that told me that had used that line with every other wannabe preacher that walked through his office.  Still, hearing that comment was one of the first steps I took toward becoming a candidate of ministry within our church. 

There was no anotherjohn.com or The Blog That Ties back then.  If I did have a blog in those days I know I would have asked you to pray with us before I went to that meeting.  So, now that I do have a blog, I can ask you to pray with us through this next step. 

This Thursday morning at 11am, I am scheduled to meet with our conference's Board of Ordained Ministry.  Among other responsibilities, this board works with and guides candidates of ministry through the candidacy process.  It is my prayer that after this meeting my candidacy will be finished and that I will be recommended by the board for commissioning in June--though not my will.....  Commissioning is the final two-year step before ordination. 

So, here's our blog and there you are reading.  Can I get you to stop reading for a moment and begin praying?  Remember me Thursday morning, especially.  I'll let you know what happened.

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Even!

Sermons

So many of us in the church have yet to experience the healing power of God.  Well, maybe we feel like God healed a physical condition or two over the years.  Yes, that is healing.  I wonder, though, if we think about the healing of God in terms of wholeness and peace, the peace only God can give.  That is what I think the church is lacking.

Some focus on physical healing because it brings the house down and people get excited about it.  Some think their mental and spiritual well-being is not that important, that what they face in those regard are just their cross to bear.  Addiction?  Oh, that's someone's problem they need to fix.  You know, pull themselves up by their bootstraps. 

We miss the many ways we need God's healing.  And we miss the fact that God wants to heal us.  Hear again what Jesus told his troubled disciples: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you (John 14:27).

Our faith reminds us that God has the power to heal.  When we give God authority our healing begins. 

That is the message in this week's sermon entitled "Even!"  I was told this was a meaningful sermon for several people who first heard it last Sunday.  My prayer is that it would be God's word for you, too.

++If you are reading by email or news reader, click here to listen to the sermon.++

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